NYCLU Withdraws Support of ID Cards for Undocumented Residents

July 10, 2014, 8:11 am

Municipal ID cardsphoto: media.ny1.com

The New York Civil Liberties Union came out against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to create municipal ID cards for undocumented city residents, claiming it would jeopardize carldholder privacy and leave them vulnerable to deportation, reported the Daily News.

Initially, the NYCLU backed the idea before authorities were allowed to hold onto applicant information that might put them in danger, such as pay stubs, social security numbers and children’s school records.

But after the bill was changed to allow officials to keep those documents for two years to safeguard against identify theft, NYCLU yanked its support saying that the costs now outweigh the benefits.

De Blasio held a hearing on the bill Wednesday and plans to sign it later this week: “A municipal ID card represents a ticket out of the shadows,” he said.

“We are disappointed that the city is inviting New Yorkers to gamble with the stakes as high as prosecution or even deportation,” said Johanna Miller, the group’s advocacy director.

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